TDG: Desperate Measures: Pancetta-Embossing

[Fat Guy]

He invented it, so he gets to name it.

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[vengroff]

I've done something like this before, but I boned the thighs, stuffed them with julienned veggies, then rolled them in pancetta, tied them closed into little bundles, and sauteed.

The skin plus pancetta is really an amazing taste and texture.

[mamster]

That sounds great, Vengroff. I'm collecting a royalty of $2.50 per thigh.

[Jinmyo]

Much better, mamster. Nice photo.

("Sure they did." )

[mamster]

I wanted to work that phony food embosser somewhere into this story, but it didn't fit. I guess I could have Photoshopped "YUMMY" on top of the pancetta. Jinmyo, I have something else coming up that I think you'll like, but it's a couple weeks off.

[Jinmyo]

Actually, mamster, I like all of your stuff. It's so gintchy.

But of course I'd prefer to see you post your own recipes (regardless of their origin) than something reproduced from a book in your article or on the plate.

[mamster]

Jinmyo--

1. What does "gintchy" mean?

2. While I enjoy cooking off the cuff, I enjoy cooking from existing recipes more. This may seem a lazy tack for a food writer to take, and I plead guilty to that, but the world has no shortage of recipes, just a shortage of reasons to make them tonight. Most of my favorite cookbooks include many recipes from other sources--sometimes credited, sometimes not--along with a couple of great new ideas.

Part of what you'll see happen in my column is that I'm highly reluctant to post a recipe even vaguely inspired by another source without giving credit. In the case of the peperonata recipe in my first column, I changed ingredients, cooking times, and serving style. It's my way of making and serving peperonata. But the first time I made it, it was Biba's book I used. I'd like to introduce people to this recipe, because it's great, but I'd also like to send them back to the original inspiration so they can find something else great in there and tell me about it.

Much of what is included in cookbooks, I find, is padding done out of a sense of obligation. Even the best cookbooks--you can't publish a book with your ten really great recipes. That's part of the reason for the popularity of the "Best American Recipes" series.

Genuine originality in cooking isn't the province of recipes, and therefore it's rarely the province of my little recipe column, either. Coming up, for example, I have an article on a particular area of Thai food that is very poorly represented in Thai restaurants in the West. So I had to recreate it, with the help of reference materials, but largely from memory. That doesn't make it my recipe, though, since the result is (I hope) close to something you'd get at almost any restaurant in Bangkok or Khon Kaen.

[tighe]

Mamster, I don't mean to diss on your happy accident of fusing pancetta to chicken, but isn't this comparable to a 'saltimbocca' preparation? I guess the difference is using pancetta instead of prosciutto. When it comes down to it, any excuse to fry something wrapped in a pork product is fine by me.....

[mamster]

Well, it's sort of comparable. Saltimbocca when made with veal doesn't have skin, of course, and generally when I've seen it done with chicken it's with pounded boneless breasts. Fusing the bacon to the skin is the key innovation here. Obviously I wouldn't say no one's ever done it before, only that I was goofing around and figured it out.

[tsquare]

A few weeks ago, I had a few slices of Salumi's pancetta sitting in the fridge - drapped it over a (non-brined) chicken that went into the oven for roasting. Better than crisp chicken skin. Easier than frying.

[tighe]

Fusing the bacon to the skin is the key innovation here.

Good point. Have to say that one common complaint I have about the variety of things I've had 'saltimbocca'd' is the failure of the prosciutto to actually become one with the underlying meat. Perhaps thats not the point however. Definately going to give your recipe a shot soon....

[Steve Martin]

Saltimbocca of guinea fowl on this page Saltimbocca July 2001.

I will make sure the sage doesn't get in the way next time.

[TerrelK]

I think I might try adding pancetta-embossed chicken to sausage, red peppers, onions & herbs for a new version of chicken scarpariello.

[Suzanne F]

You could call it "Chicken Scarface."

[Jason Perlow]

You could call it "Chicken Scarface."

Say chello to my leetle freind. Are ju talkin' to me? Did ju feed my wife? Did ju feed her, huh?

[helenas]

This is one brilliant theme for which i keep doing variations

Tonight the pancetta-embossing happened to Mario's Duck and Potato Crepinettes (foodtv.com) and it worked like a charm -

i encased duck patties between two thin layers of pancetta, cross tied with a string and broiled. Just excellent!